Says Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn of students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee:
“I view your students as ‘guests,’ since most do not own property in Milwaukee and they do not directly contribute to the tax base,” the chief continued. “As guests, they should be exhibiting appropriate conduct.”
Considering Ed Flynn does not actually own a home in Milwaukee – he rents an apartment – he’s hardly in a position to lecture about guests who don’t add to the city’s tax base.
As for guests in our city “exhibiting appropriate conduct,” Chief Flynn hardly seems in a position to judge what’s “appropriate conduct,” because I hardly think having an extramarital affair with a married journalist hardly constitutes “appropriate conduct” for the Chief of Milwaukee’s Police Department.
The fact is, despite Ed Flynn’s idiotic rhetoric, students at UWM do directly contribute to Milwaukee’s tax base. While students at UWM may not own property, the rent they pay does go towards the property taxes of their landlords, and further, those students pay their fair share of sales taxes for all the goods and services they need while they’re “guests” in Milwaukee.
My daughter lived in two different apartments when she attended UWM. She also worked her butt off as a bartender, putting herself through school. Her situation was by no means unusual for a UWM student, or a Marquette student either, now that I think of it. After she graduated she stayed in the neighborhood living and working.
The only difference between then and now is that she has a ‘big girl’ job today, in the field for which UWM ably trained her.
There are ways to make your point, Chief. This weird version of “get off my lawn” isn’t one of them
I rent in Milwaukee and by doing so support the city tax base. Are all the other Milwaukee college students being treated this way? It may be Chief Flynn’s way of attracting high-income and politically connected support from the Milwaukee East Side residents. He needs someone in PR position to screen his comments. UWM officials need to react a little stronger and stick up for their students.
Janice, Ed Flynn’s M.O. seems to be to find some bogeyman to blame anytime his department comes under pressure/scrutiny, and this time UWM students are that bogeyman.
Perhaps the chief finally will shut his mouth if called to another county to testify in court in the case of a divorce, in which he had a significant role. The witness list has been filed. Is he on it?